By Kurt Weaver, Op-ed contributor Tuesday, April 28, 2026
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Pennsylvania is facing a quiet but consequential crisis: the breakdown of marriage and family life. If we want to reduce poverty, strengthen communities, and restore opportunity, the path forward is clear: rebuild a culture that values and supports healthy marriages and families.
In 2009, researchers Ron Haskins and Isabel Sawhill introduced what has come to be known as the “Success Sequence,” a simple framework suggesting that young adults can significantly reduce their likelihood of poverty by following three steps in order: 1. finishing high school, 2. working full-time, and 3. marrying before having children. Their research found that those who follow this path have about a 97% chance of avoiding poverty.
As a society and government, we rightly aim to highlight the importance of education and employment. But the third step, marriage and family, is often overlooked, even though it is the most stabilizing factor of all and helps to limit all kinds of societal ills.
The newly released 2026 Family Structure Index places Pennsylvania 34th in the nation, a troubling signal of declining family stability.
Across the country, the report finds wide variation between states. The data tells a clear story. Only 61.9% of teens in Pennsylvania are raised by married parents, and just over half of adults are married. The state’s fertility rate sits at 1.55m, well below replacement. These are not just numbers. They reflect a weakening foundation for the next generation.
Family breakdown in Pennsylvania is not just personal; it is one of the state’s most urgent public challenges. Over time, marriage rates have declined while divorce, cohabitation, and single-parent households have increased. Today, nearly 40% of births in the state occur outside of marriage, and nationally, about one in four children live in a single-parent home. While many single parents work tirelessly and sacrificially for their children, the broader trend reflects a weakening of what has historically been a foundational building block of society. When families weaken, schools struggle, neighborhoods destabilize, and public systems strain.
The consequences of family instability are measurable and severe. Children raised amid family instability are more likely to face significant challenges, including higher risks of entering foster care, struggling in school, and encountering the criminal justice system later in life. Many who experience homelessness or addiction point to early family breakdowns as part of their story. As families weaken, the burden shifts to public systems that were never designed to replace the role of a stable home.
There is also an important economic dimension to consider. Stable, married families are strongly associated with upward mobility and long-term financial security. Poverty rates are substantially higher among single-parent households than among married couples, and in Pennsylvania, married households tend to have higher incomes and lower reliance on public assistance. Children raised in stable homes are more likely to graduate, find steady work, and avoid cycles of poverty. In this way, strong families do not just benefit individuals; they contribute to healthier, more resilient communities.
To be clear, many single parents are doing extraordinary work under difficult circumstances. But public policy and cultural messaging should not ignore what the data consistently shows: children are, on average, more likely to thrive in stable, married households.
If Pennsylvania is serious about reducing poverty, strengthening communities, and restoring opportunities, we cannot ignore the role of marriage and family.
One promising step forward is a new partnership between Pennsylvania Family Institute and Communio, equipping churches across the Commonwealth with proven tools to strengthen marriages and reduce family breakdown. In communities where this model has been implemented, churches have helped drive measurable increases in marriage rates and meaningful declines in divorce.
The way forward is not complicated, but it does require courage. We must rebuild a culture that honors commitment, supports parents, and strengthens the institutions that help families thrive.
Strong families are not just a private good. They are the foundation of a healthy society, and Pennsylvania’s future depends on them.
Kurt Weaver is the Director of Church Ambassador Network and the Director of Strategic Partnerships for the Pennsylvania Family Institute in Harrisburg, PA. To learn more, go to www.pafamily.org/can.